Astros' Dream

September 28, 1986

What's that? The Houston Astros take the National League West Division Championship? They go to the league championships in less than two weeks?

Careful. Let's not get too antsy. The fact is, Houston's dreamlike success story, the team's best year since 1980, could make prophets out of Osceola County commissioners who voted to build the county stadium where the Astros spend spring training.

After stretching to a 10-game lead, the team's biggest, the Astros continue to ride a crest. The team's players can be found among the top five in the league in runs, home runs, runs batted in, hits, doubles, game-winning RBIs, earned-run average, won-lost record, saves, strikeouts and shutouts.

If they beat the New York Mets in the playoffs, the boys from Texas go to the World Series. Win or lose, they have accomplished in a single season what was expected to take years: renewed popularity.

That means more fans for spring training and more national publicity during spring training. Even the minor-league farm team, the Class-A Osceola Astros of the Florida State League, will see the benefits in more action at the turnstiles.